Tender: Swindon: publications

UK-Swindon: publications

2010/S 17-023377

CONTRACT NOTICE

Services

SECTION I: CONTRACTING AUTHORITY

I.1) NAME, ADDRESSES AND CONTACT POINT(S):

Address: Organisation: RCUK SSC Limited,

North Star House, North Star Avenue, Wiltshire

, Contact: Clare Walker, Attn: Clare Walker, Swindon Postal code: SN2 1FF, UNITED KINGDOM. Tel. +44 1793867418. E-mail: clare.walker@ssc.rcuk.ac.uk.

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting authority: www.rcuk.ac.uk.

Address of the buyer profile: www.esrc.ac.uk.

Further information can be obtained at: As in above-mentioned contact point(s).

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained at: As in above-mentioned contact point(s).

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: As in above-mentioned contact point(s).

I.2) TYPE OF THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY AND MAIN ACTIVITY OR ACTIVITIES:

Body governed by public law.

Other: Research.

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes.

SECTION II: OBJECT OF THE CONTRACT

II.1) DESCRIPTION
II.1.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

Britain In - 22120000.

II.1.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance:

Services.

Service category: No 15.

Main place of performance: UK.

NUTS code: Location: "UNITED KINGDOM">UK.

II.1.3) The notice involves:

A public contract.

II.1.4) Information on framework agreement:
II.1.5) Short description of the contract or purchase(s):

The ESRC intends to appoint a suitable qualified and resourced design publisher contractor for the design, print and guaranteed retail distribution of the fifth issue of its annual on sale magazine Britain in 2011.

Britain in 2011 as with the previous four magazines will be for a wide audience, showcasing social sciences; it will be published in its now annual slot of late November. The issue will build and enhance upon the other issues and will be designed to appeal to those who enjoy informed debate, current affairs and have an interest in social sciences and UK society. It will remain at around 124 pages and is likely to retain a print run of 50 000.

As with the 2010 magazine the wide distribution in supermarkets, WH Smiths retail and travel , other outlets and internationally must be maintained .

The contractor must be able to supply excellent quality design efficiently and effectively, to a very tight timescale and budget. Must have experience of publishing retail magazines. Experience in publishing of the science/current affairs area would be desirable. In addition must have direct experience of retail distribution.

This contract will be 2 years with the option to extend for 1 but is subject to budgetary approval each financial year.

II.1.6) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV):

CPV code: "Publications">22120000 , CPV code: "Printed books, brochures and leaflets">22100000 , CPV code: "Printed matter and related products">22000000 , CPV code: "Newspapers, journals, periodicals and magazines">22200000 , CPV code: "Magazines">22213000 , CPV code: "Design consultancy services">79415200 , CPV code: "Printing and distribution services">79824000 .

II.1.7) Contract covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA):

Yes.

II.1.8) Division into lots:

No.

II.1.9) Variants will be accepted:

No.

II.2) QUANTITY OR SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT
II.2.1) Total quantity or scope:
II.2.2) Options:

No.

II.3) DURATION OF THE CONTRACT OR TIME-LIMIT FOR COMPLETION:

Duration in months: 36 (from the award of the contract).

SECTION III: LEGAL, ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION

III.1) CONDITIONS RELATING TO THE CONTRACT
III.1.1) Deposits and guarantees required:

Please see tender documentation.

III.1.2) Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions regulating them:

Standard RCUK SSC Ltd terms and conditions will apply to this contract, please refer to the tender documentation.

III.1.3) Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

Please see tender documentation.

III.1.4) Other particular conditions to which the performance of the contract is subject:

No.

III.2) CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
III.2.1) Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers:

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met: Please see tender documentation.

III.2.2) Economic and financial capacity:

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met: Please see tender documentation.

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: Please see tender documentation.

III.2.3) Technical capacity:

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met:

Please see tender documentation.

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:

Please see tender documentation.

III.2.4) Reserved contracts:

No.

III.3) CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO SERVICES CONTRACTS
III.3.1) Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession:

No.

III.3.2) Legal entities should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service:

No.

SECTION IV: PROCEDURE

IV.1) TYPE OF PROCEDURE
IV.1.1) Type of procedure:

Open.

IV.1.2) Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate:

Envisaged minimum number: 5.

IV.1.3) Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue:

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated no.

IV.2) AWARD CRITERIA
IV.2.1) Award criteria:

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document.

IV.2.2) An electronic auction will be used:

No.

IV.3) ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
IV.3.1) File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:
IV.3.2) Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract:

No.

IV.3.3) Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document:

Payable documents: no.

IV.3.4) Time-limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate:

10.3.2010 - 12:00.

IV.3.5) Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates:
IV.3.6) Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up:

English.

IV.3.7) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender:

Duration in month(s): 3 (from the date stated for receipt of tender).

IV.3.8) Conditions for opening tenders:

Date: 10.3.2010 - 14:00.

Place: RCUK Shared Service Centre, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FF, UNITED KINGDOM.

Persons authorised to be present at the opening of tenders: yes.

Authorised officers of RCUK SSC Ltd.

SECTION VI: COMPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

VI.1) THIS IS A RECURRENT PROCUREMENT:

Yes.

Estimated timing for further notices to be published: 2012/2013 depending on an extension being granted.

VI.2) CONTRACT RELATED TO A PROJECT AND/OR PROGRAMME FINANCED BY EU FUNDS:

No.

VI.3) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
VI.4) PROCEDURES FOR APPEAL
VI.4.1) Body responsible for appeal procedures:
VI.4.2) Lodging of appeals:

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: The Contracting Authority will notify suppliers knocked out at PQQ stage and not invited to tender why they were unsuccessful.

The Contracting Authority will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day stand still period at the point information on the Award of the Contract is communicated to tenderers. The 10 day period will be extended to 15 days from the 'relevant sending date' when the 'Alcatel' letter is not sent electronically.

This period allows unsuccessful tenderers to seek further debriefing from the Contracting Authority before the contract is entered into. Such additional information should be requested from the address in Section I.1.

The Public Contracts (Amendment) Regulations 2009 also clarify that a letter received from an unsuccessful bidder is not in itself enough to extend the legal standstill period and prevent the authority signing the contract. To do so, a bidder must actually go to court, issue proceedings, and serve them.

If an appeal regarding the award of the contract has not been successfully resolved, the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (SI 2006 No 5) as amended by The Public Contracts (Amendment) Regulations 2009, provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at a risk of harm by breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England Wales and Northern Ireland).

The new limitation period will apply specifically where a bidder brings an 'ineffectiveness' claim. There is a six-month long-stop period that will be shortened to 30 days where the authority has published an award notice, or where they have notified the losing bidders of their exclusion, and given proper reasons.

VI.4.3) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
VI.5) DATE OF DISPATCH OF THIS NOTICE:

25.1.2010.